Crumbling Mountains
by Kathryn Randle
Summary: This is just a story about a so-called rich girl whose life is changed by the friendship of two special boys! I'm not very good at summeries but, who is! *CHAPTER TWO IS FINALLY POSTED*
1. First Days

Hey Everyone! This is my first Stand By Me fic so please don't flame! I'm used to writing Outsiders fics but I loved the movie so much I just had to write this! Please enjoy! Also, this story is for Molly who inspired me to write it! I know you know it Moll, but you're the best! Please review!  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
From the first moment I saw Gordie Lachance I knew he was special. I'd always thought he was a troublemaker since he hung out with Eyeball Chambers little brother but I never imagined that he'd be such a smart kid. I nearly had a heart attack the first day of high school when I saw him and Chris in my collage bound English class but now I'm glad he was since he changed my life forever. I remember that year so clearly as though it were yesterday. It was the best school year of my life and yet it was the worst. My heart was broken, I lost my best friend and yet I gained the respect of two boys that I never thought would happen.  
  
"Caliegh Lewis," my teacher called out on September 6th 1962, "I know you'll do wonders in this class. Your sister was one of my favourite students."  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Spencer," I said sweetly, "I'll try my best."  
  
It seemed as though I was always saying that. My sister Carlee had been the top student in all her classes as Castle Rock High school and I knew that day that I would have to be living in her shadow the entire time I was at that school. She was valedictorian when she graduated and walked away with five awards and medals. But she wasn't just a smart kid that everyone hated; she was the most popular girl in school. She was so beautiful and warm that you couldn't help but love her. That is unless you're her sister. Her perfection and superiority gets old fast. Carlee wasn't even like a normal big sister. She never fought with me, she always tried to give me advice and she'd even let me wear her clothes without asking. My friends all thought she was the perfect sister, but I thought differently.  
  
"I hope to see you on the field next week," she continued, "Cheerleading practice starts and I know you'll do wonders for the team."  
  
I hated cheerleading although I knew I'd be stuck doing it since my dad would make me. It was so feminine and prissy and yet I envied the girls who were on the squad. Just once I'd like to be the girl every boy loves and wants to date, the girl everyone wants to be like but I knew that would never happen.  
  
"I'll be there." I said before taking my seat next to Mickey.  
  
"You're really going to degrade yourself by trying out to be one of those mindless peppy air-heads." She said giving me her world famous smile. Even when she was giving me a lecture she always had a smile that could brighten anyone's day.  
  
"Yeah Mick," I said in my vally-girl voice, "and you're coming with me."  
  
Mickey Carerra had been my best friend ever since second grade. I had dropped my sandwich in the sand box and she gave me half of hers. Ever since then we've been inseparable. Her real name is Joyce but she hates it so I called her Mickey since she loved that crazy little mouse. She was naturally stunning and was always smiling. She could attract boys like honey could attract bees, but she was never interested in any of them. She always told me that she wanted to meet someone who liked her for her mind and not her tits, which was strange since she wasn't very smart and they weren't even big. I'd always laugh whenever she said that but she'd just laugh right one with me. You wouldn't know it when you saw her but she was a real bad apple. She looked like a stuck-up snob like all of our other friends but she was really fiery. She almost got taken in by the cops but she just gave then a little wink and they dropped the charges. That'll tell you a little about the justice system in our town. Even if she did get taken in nothing would've happened. Her pops would just bail her out and not say a word to her on the way home. People think that just because we got money that we don't got problems which is a huge crock. Everyone's got problems some people just have more problems then others.  
  
"No shit I'm trying out Cay," She said smiling turning around in her chair, "You know I don't do that shit."  
  
"Why don't you try finding a synonym for shit Mick," I said jokingly, "It might improve your vocabulary a little."  
  
"Ahh shut it." She said simply. She opened her mouth to say more but was interrupted by the sound of the teacher's voice.  
  
"Now class," she began, "You'll have to be seated in alphabetical order to ensure that you won't be obliged to talk to any of your friends. It's also a lot easier for me to hand out and mark work this way. Now would Maria Atkinson please sit up her, next to her…"  
  
I thought of who I would be stuck beside. Whenever teachers did this I was always forced to sit beside the smelly kid or the fat kid or the kid that wouldn't stop talking.  
  
"Joyce Carerra you'll be sitting here, then Christopher Chambers." She continued.  
  
"It's Mickey." Joyce belted out just as the boy in the back of the room yelled out that he wished to be called Chris in the same manner.  
  
"Sorry Mickey, Chris." She said apologetically, "You two can sit up here please."  
  
I watched as the boy grabbed his few books and walked leisurely over to his desk. He seemed so carefree yet so rugged and well, bad.  
  
"Oh great," I heard Mickey say, "I'm stuck beside the brainless wonder."  
  
"Just go," I said pushing her a little, "Maybe he'll be attracted to your mind."  
  
She flipped me the bird as she smiled sweetly at the teacher and took her seat. I laughed since she had changed so much from that sweet little girl who gave me half her sandwich. Mick used to be a real sweet girl. Never swore, never did anything. Together we were your average rich kids but when he dad walked out on her, her mom and her older brother, she toughened up and was never the same. Her mom turned to alcohol for comfort and her brother played football to keep his mind off things. Mickey didn't know what she was supposed to do so she never let anyone ever get close to her. Her and her dad were always real close and when he left it practically killed her. 'If you don't let anyone in, you can't get hurt. It's as simple as that.' She'd always say that to me when I'd break up with a boyfriend or one of my friends stabbed me in the back. I felt a lot of pressure since I was her only true friend. Like I said she had plenty of people that liked and envied her but no one she could really talk to.  
  
"Gordon Lachance, you're right here next to Carlee Lewis." The teacher said mistaking me for my sister. "Jillian Masters you're here…"  
  
I slowly moseyed on up to where she had pointed and noticed that the person I was supposed to be sitting beside wasn't there. I looked around the room scanning for the oddball of the class trying to make his way up the hall but no one seemed to be coming forward. I knew that I had heard that name before, Lachance, but I didn't remember where.  
  
Just then the door swung open and tall built boy walked into the room. He was rather good-looking but seemed shy and timid. I'd seen him around in some of my classes but hadn't really noticed him until know. I knew then that he was Gordon Lachance but he wasn't the Lachance I had been thinking about. I remembered know that Carlee had gone out with his older brother a couple of times but it didn't work out and they just became really close friends. Denny had been real nice to me and I'd always liked him a lot. When he died my sister cried for hours.  
  
"Mr. Lachance," Mrs. Spencer said sternly, "You're late."  
  
"Yeah sorry about that," he calmly replied, "I couldn't find the room."  
  
"Way to go Gordie," Chris belted out, "I'm supposed to be the dumb one, not you."  
  
The class laughed at Chris' remark as Mrs. Spencer directed Gordie to his seat. He looked at me long and hard while sitting down as though he had never seen me before.  
  
"Hi," I told him in my sweetest voice. That was the thing with me, although I could be wild like Mick, most of the time I was innocent and friendly. Everyone knew I was wealthy just by looking at me, "I'm Caliegh. Looks like we'll be sitting beside each other for a while."  
  
"Uh, yeah," He replied simply, "Looks like it."  
  
I wanted to kick myself for being so stupid. I did sound like a brain dead cheerleader and he probably knew it to. I looked over at Mickey who was sitting near the window practically halfway across the room. The sun glistened off her jet-black hair and it was so beautiful it almost looked blue. I so wished I could be a pretty as she was. I had plain blonde hair and green eyes. I was so boring looking but Mickey was radiant. The way her icy blue eyes contrasted with her hair was perfect. She turned around and shot me her world class shining smile before turning back around to continue talking to Chris.  
  
I spent the rest of the day like this. Envying Mick, getting mixed up with my sister and trying to make small talk with Lachance.I was in all his classes except gym at the end of the day but he was with Mr. Mayor in the boys gym class while in the girls class with Miss. Thompson.  
  
"Caliegh," I heara voice from behind me say, "Caliegh Lewis is that you."  
  
I knew who the voice was. It was Holly Morgan. She was the snobbiest, richest girl in all of Castle Rock. For some reason she seemed to take a liking to me but she hated Mick.  
  
"I haven't seen you all summer. Well except when you were at Chip Houston's party but that's it. Did you see what Rachel was wearing; I mean what was that about. But you, you looked adorable with your little yellow dress."  
  
"Thanks Holl, You looked nice too." I hated it when she talked like this. She was always so boring and gossipy.  
  
"I know that silly," she replied, "Honestly Caliegh you can be so silly sometimes."  
  
I just smiled at her thinking that I'd rather be dead then standing here listening to her talk.  
  
"So will I be seeing you at Chip's next party?" she asked politly as possible.  
  
"You bet," I replied, "I'll be there. Mickey night come to."  
  
"Oh," she said forcing a smile through her teeth, "That's wonderful."  
  
I heard the whistle and we all ran in. We basically discussed all the different sport we'd be playing and stuff. She didn't even talk about my sister at all which made me like her. Well all she said was that Carlee was a good kid and she knew that I'd be one too. I liked Mrs. Thompson and knew that gym would by far be my favourite subject.  
  
We ran a few laps around the track which wasn't hard for me since I was rather good at distance running, but I had to slow down so Mickey could catch up since she was having a in depth conversation.  
  
"I mean honestly," she said, her voice full of passion, "How could one boy be such a dumb ass."  
  
"He's not a dumb ass," I told her through my gasps for air. She was talking about Chambers. "We should really stop labeling people by there siblings. It pisses the hell out of me."  
  
"Hey Cay," she said stopping in the middle of the track, "Are you alright. I mean is something bothering you."  
  
"Nah," I lied, "I'm fine Mick really."  
  
I hated how everyone thought that I was just like my sister, a prissy little homecoming queen. But a part of me liked it since it was a hell of a lot better than being who I actually was. I was always making too much of things and I hated it. I just wished that I could be myself and not worry what people thought. Two boys showed me how that year and changed my life forever!  
  
  
  
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	2. Locker Encounters

The crowded hall seemed deserted as I walked down it after gym class. I was too preoccupied with thinking to notice how many people were around. I didn't even hear Mick frantically calling my name until she came up behind me and slapped me on the back of the head affectionately.  
  
"What's your problem," she said putting her arm around my shoulder like she'd been doing for as long as I could remember, "You just gonna ignore me forever?"  
  
"Sorry Mickey," I told her halfheartedly, "I was just thinking."  
  
"Thinking about how ugly this kid is." She said pointing to a boy who was walking by at the time. She just cracked up and I couldn't help but smile.  
  
"You're such a bitch Mick." I told her like I always did. It was true. She always said she was born a bitch and wasn't ever going to change.  
  
"What?" She asked innocently as if she'd done nothing wrong, "I was just telling him the truth."  
  
"Yeah I guess," I told her. She always had a way of making it seem as though she hadn't done anything wrong, "I have to go to my locker but I'll meet you in the foyer and we'll walk home together."  
  
"All right Cay," she said ruffling my hair, "But if anyone sees us you better hide in the bushes. I don't want to be seen walking with a moron like you. It'll ruin my rep."  
  
I smiled as I continued down the hall since Mickey was far from popular and the only rep she had developed didn't exactly need protecting. I had always been the more social one, yet I constantly had to include Mickey wherever I went. If I was invited to a party, I insisted she go. If I went to the theater, she'd always be there. Sometimes, if I had a date I force who ever I was going out with to find Mickey a friend so she could come with me. Nothing would ever come between us.  
  
When I got to my locker, Chris Chambers was there, meeting the boy who I had tried to make conversation with all morning. I took a deep breath and decided not to say anything. I didn't exactly know why I was acting so nervous around him. Hell, the year before I hadn't even known who he was. I directed my eyes to the ground and proceeded forward trying to be unnoticed and failed horribly.  
  
"Watch it babe," the boy I walked into said. His voice was low, deep and very intimidating. He must have been one of the seniors so I knew the only thing I could do was apologize and hope that he would leave it at that, "A cute little thing like you should know who and who not to walk into."  
  
I opened my mouth to say something but was cut off by the sound of someone's defending voice.  
  
"Why don't you watch it pal," he said, "It was as much your fault as it was hers."  
  
I looked up to see who could possibly be sticking up for me and was surprised to see it was Gordie.  
  
"Hey Gordo, let it go," Chris said worriedly, "Just lay off alright. This guy could snap you like a twig."  
  
"Yeah kid," the older boy said, "Listen to your stupid punk friend here and lay off or there will be trouble."  
  
"What did you call me?" Chris said getting angry. His smile faded and was replaced with a look of sheer rage. I wanted to jump in and say something but there was nothing I could do. Chris tried to lunge at the boy but Gordie held him back. "No one calls me a stupid punk and lives to tell about it."  
  
The boy just sneered and walked away. Gordie was trying to calm down Chris by telling him he wasn't stupid or a punk but it wasn't working.  
  
"He's wrong y'know." I said meekly.  
  
The both stopped and looked up at me. Chris' eyes narrowed and Gordie's expression changed from concerned to ice cold.  
  
"What do you know?" Chris said to me walking a little closer, "You don't know anything. Why don't you ask your friend and see what she says. I believe is was her who made up the brainless wonder, was it not."  
  
"I was just trying to help." I told him. I wished I could die at that very moment just so I wouldn't have to feel one more ounce of the awkwardness I was feeling right now.  
  
"I don't need your pity rich kid." He said, his expression never changing, "Hurry up now or you'll be late for cheerleading practice."  
  
Anger was building up inside me when he said this. I felt like lashing out and hurting him the way he had hurt me just then. I had tried to sympathize for him when the boy had judged him so quickly and he had just turned around and did the exact same thing that had obviously hurt him. Under any other circumstances I would've broken out in tears but there was something holding me back. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he'd caused me to cry. Yet I wondered if he'd even felt guilty. He'd probably be proud so I just stared at him blankly trying to make him as uncomfortable as he'd made me.  
  
They left soon there after and as they did Gordie looked back at me in remorse before catching up to Chris. I got my things; desperately wishing Mickey had been there. She would've come up with something to say rather than just standing there the way I did. Maybe if she had been with me I wouldn't even have run into that boy or Chris wouldn't have needed to stick up for me since she would have. I wiped the tear that was forming in the corner of my eye, hoping that no one would notice. I closed my locker and rested my head on it for a few seconds before turning around. I almost screamed when I saw Mickey standing right there.  
  
"Chill Caliegh," She said flashing me her famous smile, "What the hell is the matter with you. You've been distant all day. This whole thinking shit is turning you into some sort of retard."  
  
"Shut up Mick," I said with some truth in my voice but I doubted that she'd notice, "C'mon, I gotta get home. Not that anyone would notice if I wasn't there."  
  
"Cut that shit out Cay," She said, surprisingly serious, "Your parents care a hell of a lot more about you than mine do about me."  
  
She turned away from me as though she didn't want me to see her in the state she was in.  
  
"Hey," I said reassuringly, putting my hand on her shoulder, "You know your old man's a basterd and he's not getting any better. Look, you shouldn't get upset over dirt like him."  
  
"Yeah I guess you're right Cay," She said turning around, smiling as though nothing had ever happened. That's was just another one of the traits she possessed that I wished I had. "Now let's get outta here. I can only stay in this shit hole for so long."  
  
We walked down the hall, which was less crowded now, and yet I felt as though if I were to scream no one would even look up. Mick talked to people and acted like her honest and bitchy self all at the same time while I just walked behind her. Usually I would've mingled for a while before actually leaving the building but today it was different. Today all I wanted to do was go home.  
  
As Mickey and I walked down the street in silence I could feel her looking at me. I looked over and did a double take when I saw her looking back smiling.  
  
"What the hell are you doing Mickey?" I asked her, "Stop freaking me out."  
  
"Sorry pal," she said, once again throwing her arm around my shoulder, "But you look like such a dork when you think. It was quite amusing."  
  
"Lay off would ya," I told her seriously, "I've had a rough day."  
  
"Aww poor baby," she said in her best babying voice, "Tell me Cay, what happened."  
  
"Just forget it," I told her laughing. "Just had a run in with two people I wish I'd avoided."  
  
"So," she said, trying to change the subject, "What are we doing tonight?"  
  
"God Mickey," I told her smiling, "You'll never change. It's the first day of high school. We have homework y'know."  
  
"Oh don't be such a pussy Cay," She said, "We have to live a little."  
  
"Pussy. Live a little. What's with you?" I told her, "You never say words like that."  
  
"I don't know, I guess I was trying to expand my vocabulary." She said, imitating my past comment, "Now hurry up ya, I've got things to do."  
  
"Mickey Carerra has things to do." I repeated, "Holy shit, I never thought I'd see the day."  
  
"Oh shut up." She replied simply as she smacked me on the back of my head.  
  
I thought at that moment that things would never change between us but I know now that I was wrong; very wrong. You see things did change and now I'd give anything if they'd just go back to the way they were.  
  
  
  
*Please Review* 


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